The pendle craft magazine april edition

THE PENDLE CRAFT

APRI L 2015 | I SSUE no 1

Content s Letter From The Editor Meet The Team Modern Wicca & Paganism The Meeting Room Kids?Corner ? Fun & Games at Ostara Walking With Spirits of The Past The Fire In The Head ? Being Druid Herbs Through The Ages Tribute To Sir Terry Pratchett.

Ostara Ritual Literary Corner Recipes Quiz Time Pagan Moots & Events

LETTER FROM THE EDI TOR Bright est Blessing and a very warm welcome t o our first addit ion of The Pendle Craft E-zine.

When we set out t o creat e an online magazine t hat would be accept ed by bot h t he Wiccan and Pagan community, one t hing was agreed upon st raight away, st eer away from t he glossy images of t he main st ream magazines t hat we all t end t o read.

I nst ead we want ed a magazine t hat would be bot h fun, and informat ive. Writ t en by real, honest , down-t o-eart h folks who work hard t o bring you new st ories once a mont h.

We are honoured t o share t he work of so many commit t ed and t hought ful people.

Please visit our M eet The Team Page t o see t he cont ribut ors and t heir bio?s.

We appreciat e your support and are so happy t o have you as a reader of The Pendle Craft .

Wit h Warmest Thanks

The Edit or

HEADER

M EET THE TEAM From Left to Right Victoria Claire Furminger - Vix is a proof reader for a UK collision investigation company and writes mostly for pleasure.

She spends her spare time looking after her many exotic pets, reading, and creating druidic staffs and wands with her partner, to whom she recently handfasted in the inner circle of Stonehenge. Vix lives in a quiet but mystical town in the Yorkshire Pennines and is a founding member of the ?Inner Grove?coven. She likes wandering along the moor tops and through the secluded woods that surround her home. She likes visiting ancient Neolithic sites and castle ruins for inspiration, settings and ideas.

Raquel - Hey! My name is Raquel "Monique" Reichert and I live in Williamsburg, VA with my husband and 3 children. I'm the Pendle's resident photographer. A newbie to this path and loving everything about my choice...Ghosts and paranormal are at the top of my interest list... My love of photography came at a very young age. I love all things creative...and am excited to share my photos and very open to "requests."

Lorraine - Hi my name is lorraine and i am a ?# ?ADMIN# for pendle craft magazine....im divorced, mother and grandmother.

I?m a pagan/ wiccan/ angel believer (more angel then anything). I?m sure my great ancestor....ELIZEBETH SOUTHENS AKA.OLD MOTHER DEMDIKE...would be turning in her grave.....Hope you all enjoy our new magazine.

Gayla - My name is Gayla Rogers and I live in Huntsville, Texas with my husband, Jon and two children, Gracee and Piper. I home-school my children and write for The Pendle Craft. My husband is a network specialist 2 at TDCJ. I love animals and learning more about the craft and world in general each day!

Nimue - Ponderer, singer of songs, teller of stories. Hill walker, daydreamer, Steampunk Folky and Green activist?

I have a

lot of hats. I discovered Paganism in my late teens and Druidry in my early twenties. I?ve since been a Pagan Federation volunteer, completed the OBOD grades ? and now do some voluntary work for them. I also helped out for a while at The Druid Network as well, these days I?m a member, just contributing the odd essay and review.

I was a founding member of west midlands Druid Gorsedd, Bards of the Lost Forest. Tom, my husband, and I are part of the local contemplative Druid group, involved with Druid Camp, and founder members of the Auroch Grove. I?m involved with my local Green party, and very much immersed in the vibrant life of Stroud. Some years ago, I wrote www.hopelessmaine.com ? a webcomic illustrated by Tom. That?s published in hardcover by Archaia and is easily found on or offline as you prefer! You can find me on twitter as Nimue_B and on facebook as Nimue Brown . I?m always happy to friend a pagan! I review on Goodreads, for The Druid Network and Pagan Dawn. I blog for Sage Woman and Patheos, as well as here, and interview interesting Pagan folk for the Moon Books Blog.

Graeme K Talboys - Graeme K Talboys was born in Hammersmith and now lives in Ayrshire. As well as teaching in schools and museums, he is a published writer. His non-fiction has addressed museum education, drama, and matters spiritual. His fiction explores the borderlands of worlds both real and not so real. HarperVoyager recently acquired the first three books of his fantasy series Shadow in the Storm.

M odern Wicca and Paganism Part 1

by Merlyn of Children of Artemis and Witchfest There has undoubt edly been a growt h in individualism in west ern societ ies over t he past fifty years. The increased access t o vast quant it ies of informat ion, largely a result of t elevision and more recent ly t he I nt ernet , has meant t hat t he general populat ion is far less gullible t han in any t ime in our hist ory. The difficulty t o convince people of almost anyt hing from polit ics t o religion has led t o more open debat e and discussion and a generally healt hy scept icism. I t is not any accident t hat cult s and gurus of all kinds have declined over t he same period, possibly replaced by t he great and fallible gods Google and Wikipedia.

Organised religion has not faired well in t his new environment , est ablished religious views have been openly challenged in a way t hat could not have been imagined fifty years ago. The world religions have been under pressure from an increasingly crit ical audience and as a result suffering falling at t endance numbers. The older and more est ablished t he religious organisat ion, t he more dramat ic t he impact has been. An obvious example of t his is t he Roman Cat holic church, t he infallibility of t he Pope is no longer accept ed as realist ic even among life long Cat holics, and scandals among t he priest hood over t he past 10 years, t hat would have never have become public in t imes past have increased Cat holics discont ent ment . Christ ianity and I slam have adapt ed t o t his new environment by going back t o t heir supposed root s, giving us fundament alism and ext remism. I ronic in t he informat ion age t hat anyone could claim t hat every word in a book such as t he bible is absolut e lit eral t rut h, but t alk t o a creat ionist or fundament alist and you will find t heir refusal t o crit ically consider any aspect of t heir fait h borders on t he scary. Unfort unat ely as we have seen t o societ ies cost t he st ep from religious fanat icism t o milit ant t errorism is fright eningly small.

MODERN W ICCA AND PAGANISM

BY MERLYN OF CHIDLREN OF ARTEMIS AND W ITCHFEST

So what has t his got t o do wit h Wicca and Paganism, which during t he same period have seen an exponent ial growt h in bot h int erest and members? Wit h easy access t o informat ion people have found it far simpler t o get books, magazines, access relevant I nt ernet sit es, find groups bot h locally and even int ernat ionally. This cont rast s sharply wit h t he sit uat ion in t he early ninet ies and before when books were only available t hrough specialist st ores, magazines were most ly simply produced underground publicat ions, and pagan groups of all kinds unbelievably hard t o find. The removal of t he obvious barriers t o becoming involved in alt ernat ive spirit uality of all kinds has direct ly led t o t he explosion in numbers we have seen over t he past decade.

One not able improvement t his change has brought about is t he effect ive eliminat ion of t he Wiccan/ Wit chcraft / Pagan Guru. Their claims of ancient secret knowledge, an unbroken link t o Wit ches of ant iquity and unique access t o hidden elders of t heir craft no longer sound plausible.

There are st ill a few out t here wit h t eachings t hat most of you would find t ot ally unbelievable. To give a concret e example, I had cont act wit h a fringe ?Wiccan? group recent ly t hat firmly believe t heir beliefs predat e not only Gardner, but t he classical pagan religions and even spoken language. I complet ely underst and t hat is hard for most Pagans t o even conceive of a Wiccan or Pagan t hat is so gullible, but unfort unat ely t hey do exist .

I t has had ot her effect s on Wicca and Paganism t hat have not been so universally welcomed wit hin t he exist ing community. I t is fair t o say t hat bot h Wicca and Paganism are no longer t he same as t hey were a mere decade ago. Some not able changes t hat are st ill cont roversial include t he appearance of t he solit ary Wiccan, t he massive increase in awareness of young people of Wicca in part icular and t he new media favourit e, t he Teen Wit ch, and t he growt h in t he number of eclect ic mix and mat ch pract it ioners who effect ively sit out side of any definit ion except t heir own. Finally and possibly t he most puzzling is t he growt h in t he number of people t hat consider t hemselves just a Pagan, making t his a spirit ual pat h in it ?s own right , free of it ?s older associat ions as a mere umbrella t erm for ot her Eart h based belief syst ems. These new development s have st ret ched t he est ablished meaning of Wicca and Paganism beyond anyt hing anyone could have predict ed. I am NOT saying t hat t he new development s are in anyway a bad t hing, but change can be painful and it has blurred t he meaning of what we knew in t he past as Wicca and Paganism.

I will first discuss t he implicat ions for Pagans, and t hen moving ont o Wicca as far as it is possible t o separat e t he subject s. According t o modern myt hology originally t he t erm pagan came from t he Lat in word ?paganus?, which roughly t ranslat ed means count ry dweller. I t is a closely relat ed word t o Heat hen, a t erm widely adopt ed by Norse and Germanic pagan groups, which simply means heat h dweller. Roman soldiers reput edly used bot h t erms before being adopt ed by early Christ ians, t he words were originally int ended as an insult rat her like t he modern English t erm for a simple unsophist icat ed count ry person ?yokel?. I t is int erest ing t o not e t hat t he Roman soldiers were not Christ ian, but followers of M it hras, and ironically would be considered pagans t hemselves t oday. All t his is hard t o prove conclusively as much has been lost in t he mist s of t ime, but fort unat ely t he origins of t he t erm do not impact t he current underst anding of t he word significant ly. The two dominant meanings are now t he Christ ian version t hat means ?unbeliever? and t he Neo-Pagan meaning an adherent of an Eart h based belief syst em, alt hough t he exact definit ion of t he lat er meaning is incredibly vague.

While at first it may seem st range t o associat e t he t erms Wicca and Paganism so closely in a single discussion, t heir modern hist ory is int ertwined so closely t hat it is almost impossible t o discuss one wit hout t he ot her. The word Pagan was unt il relat ively recent ly a t erm used mainly by Christ ians t o denot e a non-believer, especially someone out side t he M onot heist ic religions of Christ ianity, I slam, and Judaism. The fat her of modern Wicca Gerald Gardner used t he words ?pagan? and ?paganism? ext ensively in his books, and his view was t hat Wicca/ Wit chcraft were t he modern descendant s of t he ancient pagan religions. The concept of an unbroken line of descent from classical and Celt ic paganism as advocat ed by M argaret M urray has now been largely discredit ed, but t hat link has remained in t he popular consciousness. While Gerald was using t he t erm pagan in a hist orical sense t o refer t o t he great lost classical religions of t he past it has now become synonymous wit h modern Neo-Paganism, and is frequent ly used by members of t he Eart h Worshiping belief syst ems int erchangeably t o mean exact ly t he same t hing.

Some groups wit hin modern society st ill view t he t erm pagan in a complet ely different way. To many Christ ians t he t erm pagan simply means someone who does not believe in t heir one t rue God, t his put s almost everyone who is not a Christ ian int o t he same cat egory. There are even more ext reme monot heist ic views t hat classify ot her denominat ions as not t rue believers and t herefore by implicat ion pagans. I slam is no more generous in it s use of t he word pagan, so it is seen as a derogat ory word describing someone out side of his or her t rue religion.

This means t hat when you t ell someone you are pagan, t hey perceive somet hing dramat ically different ly depending on t heir own beliefs and background. So t he simple looking quest ion of ?what is a pagan?? can have many answers depending on whom you ask. While t here are many people across t he World t hat consider t hemselves t o be pagans, t here is no single accept ed definit ion of what t hat act ually means. This confusion is compounded by t he t erm pagan having two very dist inct meanings, it can be a belief syst em in it s own right for some, or can be considered as just an umbrella t erm for a wide range of nat ure based religions, such as Wicca, Druidry, Shamanism, Asat ru, or numerous ot hers. Even more confusing many people use t he word in bot h senses, only t he cont ext of what t hey say might give a clue as t o exact ly what t hey meant .

MODERN W ICCA AND PAGANISM

BY MERLYN OF CHIDLREN OF ARTEMIS AND W ITCHFEST I t is t rue t hat you should be careful what you wish for as it may not only come t rue, but grow t o be a lot larger t han you eit her expect ed or hoped for. Some Wiccan groups used t he more ambiguous and less cont roversial t erm ?pagan? t o mask t heir associat ion wit h t he emot ive t erms ?Wit ch and ?Wit chcraft ?. This has been common over t he past sixty years wit h many Wiccan, or Wit chcraft organisat ions using t he word ?Pagan? t o disguise t heir t rue beliefs. While originally t he name was used as a smoke screen it st eadily grew int o a real growing community. I n some cases t he membership of organisat ions using such a mask has become so diverse t he original groups behind t hem have lost cont rol of t he direct ion of t heir organisat ion.

So t he growt h in t he use of t he word ?Pagan? t o describe people?s beliefs could be viewed as having been a deliberat e t act ic t o gain more posit ive recognit ion and avoid t he st igma of t he word ?Wit ch?.

While t his has had undeniable success t here has been a price t o pay, as we all know not hing is ent irely free.

Originally t he groups behind most Pagan init iat ives in t he past have been Wiccan. The wide adopt ion of t he t erm ?Pagan? t o improve t heir public image left bot h Wicca and Wit chcraft firmly in t he shadows, doing lit t le if anyt hing t o dispel old prejudices and misconcept ions. I t is a fact t hat even wit hin t he last few years spokespeople for cert ain ?Pagan? groups have been advised t o avoid ment ioning t he words ?Wit chcraft ?, ?Wit ch?, or ?Wicca in media int erviews t o avoid an adverse react ion. While t his may have made t he t ask of communicat ing wit h a wider audience easier, it is leaving a large part of our community more open t o discriminat ion of all kinds due t o t he old st ereotypes going unchallenged. I t has been an ongoing challenge wit hin organisat ions t hat t ook t his rout e for expediency, as t here is a const ant crisis of ident ity, are t hey really Pagan, or Wiccan, t his leads t o inevit able disagreement s and even int ernal power st ruggles.

MODERN W ICCA AND PAGANISM

BY MERLYN OF CHIDLREN OF ARTEMIS AND W ITCHFEST

One of t he biggest issues arising from t he recent changes are t he people t hat declare t hemselves as purely Pagan as t heir sole spirit ual pat h. Defining what t hat act ually means is almost impossible as even amongst t hemselves t hey cannot agree on what t he label means in t erms t hat someone else can underst and or agree. This problem is increasing in import ance as t he number of Pagans grows, how can we as a community get any official recognit ion if an import ant part of our number cannot be defined or underst ood by ot hers, even t hose in t heir own community?

Ult imat ely t he name for your own spirit ual pat h is and should be ent irely your own choice. However t he usefulness of a label t hat means very lit t le is debat able, even worse t he label could become a liability if it means somet hing drast ically different t o your audience. I f a generally accept ed definit ion exist ed a lot of t hese problems would disappear, but due t o t he fragment ed nat ure of paganism t hat seems ext remely unlikely in t he foreseeable fut ure. I am cert ain t hat all Pagans want t heir beliefs t o be given equal st at us wit h ot her religions. But how is t hat possible when even among t hemselves t hey cannot agree on what t hey really are? This has already become a barrier t o accept ance as a valid religion wit h some official bodies in t he UK . Since t he appearance of t he census inspired Jedi movement and general government al suspicion of organisat ions such as t he Scient ologist s, official recognit ion has become more difficult t o obt ain. This is deliberat e policy by many government s t o prevent bogus, or money orient at ed organisat ions gaining t he legal and t ax benefit s of religious recognit ion.

So in conclusion on t he discussion of t he modern Pagan, what do you underst and by t hat ? Can it be simply defined and can everyone involved agree on at least a general inclusive definit ion t hat can be used in discussions wit h out siders? While t hat would be t he nirvana for Paganism it not only looks a dist ant dream, but wit h furt her evolut ion almost cert ain it may become even harder.

Coming up in next mont h's issue: Part 2 of M erlyn's M odern Wicca and Paganism " Now

I can move ont o Wicca, while t he sit uat ion here is clearer it is not as obvious as it once was......."

ON THe SOFA..........

W I T H C AT T R EADWELL

At t he offices of The Pendle Craft M agazine, we pondered for hours on who could fit t he bill t o sit on our brand new e-zine couch for t he first edit ion.

Then it hit us. How about none ot her t han renowned aut hor and Druid Trust ee, Cat Treadwell.

So, please, pull up a chair and join us for our first int erview of our brand new e-zine.

1 . If I could begin by ask ing you w hat led you to Druidry? W as it a choice from childhood or as you grew into your late teens?

I t hink my experience might be familiar t o many folk who found Paganism in adult hood - unt il I was passed a book on Wicca, I had no idea t hat such a spirit uality exist ed as an opt ion!

As a child, I used t o spend a lot of t ime in t he woods, playing amongst t he t rees, exploring and learning what I could. I recall, it was at t he beginning of 'Environment alism' as a polit ical force, and I was lucky enough t o have a t eacher for a while who encouraged us t o plant seeds and wat ch t hem develop, look deep int o t he workings of leaf and bark... consider t he consequences of our act ions on our environment .

I had no idea about Druidry as a modern pat h unt il I happened upon M argot Adler's writ ing, and t hen Emma Rest all Orr. I joined t he burgeoning Brit ish Druid Order (now Druid Network) and found a local(ish) Grove, where we all muddled along and explored t oget her... and I was off!

2 . Ho w w o u l d y o u , y o u r sel f , d ef i n e Dr u i d r y t o d ay co m p ar ed t o i t s h i st o r i cal r o o t s.

Druidry t oday has t ies t o it s ancest ral root s, but I t hink it remains an eminent ly pract ical spirit ual pat h. I t has had t o evolve as our modern lifestyles have changed, so it remains relevant while incorporat ing cont emporary t echnology, for example. We use what we have t o work wit h our spirit uality, finding t hat connect ion in our everyday life now, in t he 21st Cent ury, however t hat may be. Druids can exist in t own or count ry, as t he nat ural world st ill surrounds us; we are part of our environment , aft er all, and our ancest ors and gods walk wit h us t hrough our lives, wherever and whenever we may be.

Regarding modern int erpret at ions of ancient Druidry... it 's difficult , because we don't really know what t hey did in any det ail. I love experient ial archaeology, but admit t o being a lit t le confused by reconst ruct ionist s. M y Druidry encourages individual explorat ion and t hen applicat ion, again as relevant - so t he 'I 'm right / You're wrong' approach seems unhelpful t o me! What 's right for one person might not suit anot her, but if it 's st ill Druidry, t here will be common ground. So we find t hat , and t herein t he relat ionship. I hope t his makes sense!

3 . M o st p eo p l e see Dr u i d s as b ei n g m en i n l o n g r o b es an d b ear d s, ar e t h er e a l o t o f w o m en w h o f o l l o w t h e d r u i d p at h o r i s i t m o r e a m ascu l i n e so ci et y t h an f em i n i n e?

I find that stereotype pretty hilarious actually - because I'm a Druid who is obviously not male or bearded! My partner is, however, so I tell folk that he's my 'Stunt Beard' *laughs* Druidry is about as Equal Opportunities as it gets, I think.

We have both men and women, homosexual and heterosexual, and I've met some gorgeous trans folk at book-signings who love my work! It's less about physical restrictions than connections, in my experience nothing is a barrier unless you let it be. This may be why there's a lot of fantastic disabled Druids out there pushing the boundaries as well. We really try not to discriminate.

4 . Hav e t h er e al w ay s b een f em al e Dr u i d s o r i s t h i s a m o d er n asp ect ?

According to the Roman writers who pass on the information that we have about ancient Druids, there were certainly women as well as men. The story of the attack on the Druids of Anglesey speaks of wild women, running fearlessly amidst the soldiers - maybe warriors themselves. I doubt gender was any barrier if someone proved themselves willing and skilled.

5 . Can y o u d ef i n e, f o r t h o se w h o ar e n o t aw ar e o f t h e d i f f er en ces, h o w o n e g o es f r o m Ov at e t o Bar d t o Dr u i d ? A r e t h ey o n e an d t h e sam e o r d o y o u h av e t o b e o n e b ef o r e b ei n g t h e o t h er ?

Is t h er e a l en g t h o f t i m e t h at y o u h av e t o b e o n e b ef o r e m o v i n g o n t o t h e o t h er ?

The Bard/ Ovate/ Druid categorisation is again taken from the Roman account of the ancient Druids, but for some it proves quite handy in the learning process today. The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids use this process in terms of 'Grades' to work through via their correspondence course you must pass each Grade in turn to progress to the next, and this takes as long as it takes for each student. There isn't any specific Druid Curriculum these days that applies to everyone!

Wit h my own st udent s, I use t he Bard/ Ovat e/ Druid skill set s t o help sort t he lessons int o different foci. For example, during t he Bardic part of t he lesson t hey would look at st ories or creat ivity; t he Ovat e is invest igat ing more deeply int o t he Ot herworld aspect s. The Druidry could be t he pract ical applicat ion of t he spirit ual int o t he everyday.

I nt erest ingly, I 've found t hat many Druids seem t o gravit at e t o st rengt hs in part icular areas t hat oft en reflect t hese t it les. Damh t he Bard, for example, is cert ainly a Druid, but his songwrit ing and music is his primary mode of expression. K rist offer Hughes works wit h t he dead. I 've worked wit h all t hree, but feel at t he moment t hat wit h my public t eaching and Chaplaincy work, I 'm out t here being a Druid first and foremost . makes sense!

6 . Th an k y o u Cat . W h at ar e t h e d ef i n i n g d i f f er en ces b et w een Dr u i d r y an d t h e m an y o t h er Pag an p at h s o u t t h er e, i e. W i cca, Th el em a, Cel t i c Pag an i sm , et c.

M ost Hat ed Quest ion... I t hink Paganism is so broad t hat t he labels are precisely t hat - labels. I ndividuals are rarely just one Thing or Job, for example: I 've been called a Dru-Wit ch in t he past , as my pract ice found common ground in bot h pat hs! I don't see t he usefulness in drawing lines t o different iat e. Each personal pract ice has t o be sincere and t rue, and if t hat means t hey fluct uat e between labels, t hen so it is! I know Heat hen Druids, Christ ian Druids... any number of folk who blur t hose lines, but I t hink t hat helps find t he common ground between us.

Paganism is a good overarching umbrella t o bring t he community t oget her, rat her t han split us int o different 'camps', even if our own groups follow part icular primary pat hs.

7 . W h y d o y o u f eel p eo p l e ar e d r aw n t o t h e Dr u i d p at h ?

I t hink people are drawn t o Paganism as a whole right now because t here is more accept ance of spirit ual 'seeking'. Christ ianity is not for everyone, whereas in t he past it was t he norm, t he 'default ' religion in t he UK ... but a lot of people have had bad experiences wit h t he main fait hs, sadly. The Pagan pat hs allow personal experience t o be applied t o t he spirit ual - again, you're not t old 'Do t his or you're wrong', but 'What feels right t o you?'

Druidry encourages explorat ion, curiosity and challenge. I t 's int riguing t o people, and some are cont ent t o dip t heir t oes in and see how it feels... ot hers love t hat it makes t hem t hink about t heir lives, encouraging posit ive change and challenging st agnat ion. Et hics are relevant , polit ics cannot be ignored... humanity impact s t he world around and our fait h is not somet hing only t o be pract ised one day a week, but 24/ 7, in every aspect of our lives. That 's precisely what some draws some people, and keeps t hem walking t he Druid way.

That and I nspirat ion is such an import ant part of Druidry...

Don't forget t he Awen!

8 . W h at w o u l d b e y o u r ad v i ce f o r so m eo n e l o o k i n g t o b eco m e a Dr u i d ?

Read. Take a look at t he opinions out t here, from books, blogs, forums... but t hen put all t hat down and get out side! Explore your own environment , grassy and urban. Wat ch it change as t he year moves. Consider how your own life impact s t he world.

And list en. Once you st ep ont o t he pat h, t he lessons t end t o begin, t he challenges t o come. You might be called t o face t he scary, uncomfort able or difficult . But it 's never anyt hing you aren't ready t o handle. K eep moving forward

9 . ?I?m a Tr u st ee o f Th e Dr u i d Net w o r k an d o r d ai n ed A w en y d d (Pr i est ) o f Th e A n g l esey Dr u i d Or d er ; al so Dep u t y Di st r i ct Co o r d i n at o r f o r t h e East M i d l an d s Pag an Fed er at i o n an d Ho n o r ar y M em b er o f Th e Cen t r e f o r Pag an St u d i es. I?m a r eg i st er ed Pag an Ch ap l ai n , v o l u n t eer i n g f o r Der b y sh i r e Ho sp i t al s an d t h e Pr i so n Ser v i ce.? Th i s w as t ak en f r o m Cat b o x . Fi r st l y , can y o u ex p l ai n w h at t h e Cat b o x i s, f o r t h o se w h o h av e n o t h ear d o f i t b ef o r e? Seco n d l y , can y o u ex p l ai n w h at a Tr u st ee i s?

The Cat box is my blog! St art ed a few years ago now, in response t o a t alk I gave at a Pagan Federat ion Conference. I had no idea what people want ed t o know about Druidry, so I asked... and now it 's a place for my t hought s on t opics t hat seem relevant t o me, t o share and ponder aloud.

And The Druid Network is a nat ional charity, wit h Trust ees who monit or and administ er it , t o guide it for t he membership and t hose it t ries t o help.

The Druid Network's pledge is t o I nform, I nspire and Facilit at e Druidry, and t hat 's somet hing very close t o my own heart .

Also, I need t o updat e t hat descript ion - I 'm now full Dist rict Coordinat or for t he Pagan Federat ion in t he East M idlands! Never a dull moment in t he Pagan community druidcat .wordpress.com

1 0 . A s w el l as b ei n g a Dr u i d y o u ar e al so an au t h o r . In y o u r b o o k ?A Dr u i d ?s Tal e?y o u sp eak o f p eo p l e seek i n g an sw er s. Do y o u f eel t h at p eo p l e ar e st i l l ask i n g t h e sam e q u est i o n s o r h av e n ew er q u est i o n s ab o u t t h e Dr u i d i c p at h ar i sen ?

On t he back cover blurb of 'A Druid's Tale', it ment ions t he 'old bearded men in whit e robes' st ereotypes. I t was published a few years ago... and you've just asked t he same quest ion above! So I guess people st ill want t o know. I love t hat people are so curious about Druidry, and generally in an int erest ed and civil way (I get relat ively lit t le abuse, fort unat ely!).

There will always be t he 'baseline' quest ions, but I 'd far rat her people ask t han nervously st ay quiet - t hat 's t he t errible 'polit ical correct ness' in act ion, as folk are scared t o ask for fear of offending. I f you don't ask t he quest ions, you don't find t hings out so ask away!

I love new questions, though. They keep me challenged. And often come from children!

1 1 . Yo u m en t i o n ed ch i l d r en i n y o u r an sw er t h er e. Do y o u f eel t h at Dr u i d r y i s a p at h su i t ed t o ch i l d r en o r sh o u l d p ar en t s w ai t u n t i l t h e ch i l d i s o l d en o u g h t o m ak e u p t h ei r o w n m i n d s?

I find t hat a lot of Pagan parent s don't force t heir children down a part icular spirit ual pat h, but leave t hem t o make up t heir own minds... but also encourage t hem t o explore.

As I said at t he st art , I was basically invest igat ing Druidry as a child, albeit wit hout knowing it !

And youngst ers love get t ing out t here int o t he wild and seeing what makes t he world t ick. That 's perfect , t he combinat ion of spirit ual t rut hs and import ant physical informat ion.

I don't have children, but think it's important to speak to them at a level they understand - so if they ask questions, you answer. In a way that they 'get', but honestly, without being patronising. Kids aren't stupid!

1 2 . Yo u r seco n d b o o k , ?Faci n g Th e Dar k n ess?, cam e o u t as a sp i r i t u al g u i d e f o r t h o se f aci n g d ep r essi o n o r d i f f i cu l t t i m es w h i l e t r av el l i n g t h ei r p at h s. W as t h i s i n t en t i o n al o r w as t h er e an o t h er r easo n f o r b r i n g i n g out t his book ?

'Facing t he Darkness' was my at t empt t o t ake my own experience of depression and do somet hing useful wit h it . I got very frust rat ed at t he lack of mot ivat ion, energy and ability t hat you feel when in t hose dark places, t he loneliness and disconnect ion... by sharing my st ories (and t hose of ot hers in t he book as well), I want ed t o show ot hers t hat t hey are not alone in such t imes. Also t hat Darkness is as import ant t o explore as Light . So much of modern spirit uality is about 'Love and Light ' - and while t hat 's import ant , t hat 's not all t here is. I nspirat ion can come from t he deepest darkness, in t he bot t om of t he cauldron, at 4am wit h insomnia... in t he maddest places!

As a society, we don't give enough t ime, help or credence t o t hose going t hrough t hese difficult ies.

And while everyone's dark landscape is different , t he book will hopefully provide a lit t le bit of a map from a fellow t raveller.

I 've had a fant ast ic response t o it as well, act ually, which is t remendous. I 'm really glad t hat it helps, reaching out t hrough words across t he miles.

1 3 . Fo r t h o se f aci n g d ep r essi o n an d u n cer t ai n t y w i t h i n t h ei r f ai t h , w h at w o u l d b e y o u r ad v i ce t o h el p t h em ?

1 4 . Fo r o u r f i n al q u est i o n , w h at ad v i ce w o u l d y o u g i v e t h o se l o o k i n g f o r a sp i r i t u al p at h t o f o l l o w ?

You're not alone. There are t hose who walk wit h you in t he dark - even if you can't see t hem, we're here. I f you're Pagan, you have t he help of your guides t o call on as well. Look in t he myt hs, at t he t ales of t hose who descended int o t he Ot herworld or Underworld and found solace, assist ance or wisdom. There are Gods and Goddesses of t he Dark - not evil, but oft en wiser t han we give t hem credit for. I f you come t o t hem in honesty, t hey will help. And of course, your ancest ors are wit h you, your loved ones... somet imes even animal friends and companions. K now t hat you are loved and valued. Even if it doesn't feel like it right now. K eep breat hing.

Don't be afraid t o explore! I t 's a great t ime t o be a spirit ual seeker, as t here's so much informat ion out t here. The key for me was figuring out what felt t rue FOR M E. I read a lot of spirit ual and religious biographies, and it 's lovely t o see t he passion t hat ot hers have for t heir fait h - from t he Dalai Lama t o t he t ales of women called t o become nuns or priest s (now t here's a challenge!). But if somet hing doesn't quit e 'click' wit h you, don't just disregard it . Try t o figure out why... and if anyt hing about it does make sense t o you. Follow t he pat h t hat feels t ruest t o you, t hat makes your heart leap and beat fast er wit h excit ement ! Discover your own inspirat ion. Nobody can t ake t hat away from you, not really - even if you have t o dig a lit t le t o find it again.

CHI LDREN'S GAM ES AT OSTARA

BY GAYLA ROGERS

I would like t o st art off by saying Happy Ost ara Everyone. The first Part t hat I will be covering for t his Holiday are t he Children's act ivit ies. Ost ara is celebrat ed around t he t ime t hat t he Christ ians celebrat e East er. That I remember very well as a child.

I was dress in my best dress, t aken t o church wit h my hair all rolled and done up. We did an East er egg hunt , dyed eggs and got East er Basket s from t he East er Bunny. I f you are new, don't worry you don't need t o change all your childhood t radit ions. As many of us well know, t he Christ ians oft en t ook our symbols in order t o make t heir own religion more appealing when t rying t o convert people. M any Pagan families st ill dye eggs and do an egg hunt as eggs and rabbit s represent fert ility and spring. M any st ill do basket s for t heir children and egg colouring pages. Pagan families are much easier t o find now t hat so many of us have connect ed over t he int ernet and t hrough social media.

Children's Ostara Chant Welcome, welcome, warm fresh eart h!

Today we celebrat e rebirt h!

Blowing wind! Rising Sun Bringing t he spring t o everyone!

Rabbit s hopping and chicks in t he nest . Spring is t he season we love t he best !

Celebrat e t he green of t he eart h wit h me.

Happy Ost ara Blessed Be!

The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the chocolate Rabbit * Bag of jelly beans * marshmallow peeps, chicks and bunnies * chocolat e bunny for each part icipant . * A glass of milk for each Part icipant This is a fun filled rit ual t o do wit h children t his t ime of t he year!

Ost ara is a t ime t o celebrat e spirit uality and t he t urning of t he eart h, so t here's no reason we can't have kids or not -t his is a simple rit e t hat 's a great way t o bring in t he season. You use it ems readily available in discount st ores around t his t ime of t he year. This is meant t o be a fun and a lit t le silly t oo. Arrange your rit ual supplies on your alt er so t hey look nice. K ids can do t his, typically t he chocolat e rabbit ends up in t he middle surrounded by an army of peeps and Several rings of jelly beans. Remember, don't do t his t o close t o dinner or t he kids won't eat .

First , Give everyone a handful of jellybeans. Point out t he different colours and what t hey can represent . As you call out each one, eat t he jelly beans of t hat colour.

Feel free t o be a bit goofy. You could say somet hing like, behold lit t le jelly eggs, small symbols of t he season, how we adore you! Green is t he colour of t he grass and leaves of spring. (Eat all t he green).

Yellow is for t he daisies and t he sun t hat shines upon our crops. (eat all your yellow jelly beans) You would cont inue in t his pat t ern unt il all t he colors are gone. I f you really want t o t ry somet hing neat , t ry having t he kids t ake t urns calling out t he colors and somet hing t hat t he colour means t o t hem. When you're finished call out - Hail! Hail! To t he mighty peeps of spring! Give all t heir marshmallow peeps t o t hem as you do say, behold t he peep! The peep is life! Brought back in t he spring!

Little peep chickens, we honour you! (bite the peep chicks) Little peep bunnies, we honour you! (bite the peep bunnies!

Continue this until the peeps are gone or until the children have had 2-3 each as too many will spoil their dinner. When all have disappeared call outHail hail to the mighty peeps of spring! Finally, distribute the chocolate bunnies and sayBehold the great chocolate Rabbit of spring.

Give everyone a glass of milk, and raise your drinks in a toast to these three symbols of the season, to the jelly beans! to the chocolate rabbit! We drink in your honor! Sit back and enjoy being stuffed.

W ALKING W ITH THE SPIRITS OF THE PAST

by Raquel Monique Reichert

LOCATI ON: York Hall/ Nelson House can be found on t he corner of M ain St reet and Nelson St reet in t he hist orical t own of Yorkt own, right across t he st reet from t he bat t lefield used in two wars.

DESCRI PTI ON: York Hall/ Nelson House is huge, t hree st ory, 1730, solidly built , brick home. This grand home is a st ellar example of a home built in t he Georgian style, which was named in honor of "four Brit ish kings named George, who reigned from 1714 t o 1830." York Hall/ Nelson House has a "simple, balanced appearance," giving an impression of "order and st ability." I t has t he typical t riangular pediment above t he front door and t he cornice, where one can see a cannon ball from t he Revolut ionary War decorat ively st icking int o t he bricks!

One can see t he decorat ive molding, under t he eaves of t he roof, reflect ing ancient Greece and Rome decor influences. M ost of t he Nelson House is made of t he original mat erials, including t he bricks and most of t he mort ar in t he out er walls. I nside t he house, t he wall panels and most of t he wooden floors are also original. This st unning t ownhouse has a lovely garden reminiscent of an English garden from t heir old count ry.

W a l k in g W it h Th e Spir it s Of Th e Pa s t

By Raquel Monique Reichert

HI STORY: This t ownhouse was t he home of t he Nelson Family and lat er t he home of t hree generat ions of t he Capt ain George Prest on Blow family.

The Nelsons were movers and shakers in bot h business and public service. The Pat riarch grandfat her Nelson immigrat ed from England in 1705, became a prosperous and influent ial merchant , who not only built t he Nelson family business, but also t his glorious t ownhouse in 1730. His son, William cont inued t o successfully run t he Nelson family business, spend t he money wisely buying property and served t he community as president of t he Governor's Council and as act ing governor. William's son, Thomas Nelson, Jr followed in his fat her's foot st eps, by running t he family business, served t he public in t he Cont inent al Congress, t he st at e legislat ure and was governor of Virginia from June t hrough Oct ober 1781. He was also a dedicat ed pat riot . Not only did he sign t he Declarat ion of I ndependence, but was a brigadier general, who commanded t he Virginia milit ia at t he Siege of Yorkt own. He died 6 years aft er t he war ended due t o an ast hma at t ack caused by ill healt h he suffered from, due t o t he exposure t o element s found in t he bat t lefield environment . Perhaps he inhaled smoke or some chemical agent from bat t le and hurt his lungs. Lucy, his wife lived in t heir family home for 30 more years before she died. This home st ayed in t he Nelson family t hroughout t he 19t h cent ury. During t he Civil War, t his home became a hospit al for bot h Confederat e soldiers and lat er for Union soldiers. The Nelson descendant s put t he home on t he market in 1908, in need of renovat ion and rest orat ion. I n 1914, Capt ain and M rs. George Prest on Blow bought t his grand fixer upper and renovat ed t he Nelson House, giving it a place of honor as t he cent er of a large property, known as "York Hall." I n 1968, The Nat ional Park Service bought t he Nelson House/ York Hall and rest ored it t o it s original colonial, Georgian style appearance.

HI STORY OF M ANI FESTATI ONS: The Revolut ionary War Bat t le of Yorkt own was a fierce fight between t he Brit ish Troops and t he Cont inent al Army and milit ia forces. Brit ish Commander Cornwallis' signed a surrender agreement because his t roops were t aking a beat ing and it was inevit able t hat t hey would loose.

M embers of t he Nelson family loved t heir home for over 100 years, and t ook very good care of it . I t makes sense t hat some of t hem may choose t o visit on occasion or reside t here inst ead of going t o t he ot her side because of issues t hey st ill hang ont o, and are rest less.

Three generat ions of t he George Prest on Blow family also loved t his house; t heir York Hall. They also t ook good care of it . Some members of t his family may also come for a visit on occasion, or may have issues which t hey are st ill upset about , making t hem rest less as well.

W a l k in g W it h Th e Spir it s Of Th e Pa s t

By Raquel Monique Reichert

M ANI FESTATI ONS: The Ent ity of t he Brit ish Soldier...

This young male ent ity of a Brit ish soldier who was killed in t he Siege of Yorkt own has moved int o t his fine home which must remind him of his home in England. His apparit ion has been seen on occasion in various spot s around t he house. Foot st eps, cold spot s, t ricks on t he living, and playing wit h t he light s are probably occurrences due t o t his young man who needs t o have some chuckles t oo! (see The General Wayne I nn st ory & The Kolb Ridge Court Housing Development .)

The Female Ent ity on t he t hird floor. The sobbing of a woman was heard coming from an empty t hird floor room. One of t he women in eit her t he Nelson or Prest on Blow family suffered a t errible loss for which she st ill grieves.

Unknown Guest Ent it ies Ent it ies of t he families who lived here somet imes ret urn t o visit t o see how t he living are t aking care of t heir house. Perhaps t he st aff of t his house museum may see apparit ions sit t ing in t he parlor or ot her part s of t he house wit h various styles of clot hing on.

STI LL HAUNTED? Yes indeed. The ent ity of t he Brit ish soldier and t he sorrowful lady are residing in t his grand house. Ot her ent it ies are known t o visit on occasion, from t ime t o t ime.

SOURCES INCLUDE: yorkcounty.gov * nps.gov HAUNTED PLACES: The National Directory, by Dennis William Hauk, The Penguin Group, 2002.

THE FI RE I N THE HEA D BEI NG DRUI D, PA RT ONE GRA EM E K TA LBOYS

A sk t en Druids what

it means t o be Druid and you will get eleven answers. This is because it is a personal mat t er. That does not mean it is made up by t he individual t o include anyt hing t hey want . Rat her, it is about having a relat ionship wit h t he world. Alt hough it is based on cert ain principles, it is shaped int o a unique form by t he int eract ion between t he part ners.

Some people find t his difficult .

They believe following a spirit ual pat h means blind obedience t o a precise and fixed set of rules. I t can?t work like t hat . People change; t he world changes. I f t hat fundament al fact of exist ence is ignored, any ot her principles are wort hless.

This is common t o all pagan pat hs and some ot hers as well.

What makes being Druid dist inct from ot her pat hs is t hat it views t he world and expresses it self via t he medium of Celt ic hist ory, myt h, folklore, images, and symbols.

The pat h t hrough t he Forest probably leads t o t he same place t hat all ot her pat hs lead. We do not know. For a Druid, t hat possible dest inat ion is nowhere near as import ant as how you behave on t he journey.

A Druid?s act ions derive from a met aphysic t hat recognizes we are part of t he whole and have an int imat e relat ionship wit h t he rest of t he world. Reaching t his underst anding is when t he fire in t he head first flickers int o life. For some it is a sudden explosion, a great burst of light like sunrise. For ot hers it is a candle flame in t he dark.

This met aphysic is t o be found expounded, in part , in sources held in common by ancest ral Celt s as well as from writ ings t hat were made from t he beginnings of t he hist orical period. I t also, because t hings change, draws on cont emporary cult ure and t hinking.

When people become Druid, it is oft en out of a realizat ion t hat t hey have already developed a view of t he world t hat is akin t o t he Celt ic met aphysic and are living t heir lives accordingly.

For many, it never goes beyond an overall expression of an idea, being as much an emot ional response as it is int ellect ual. However, if we look t o what we know of ancest ral Celt ic t hinking, it is possible t o t ease out some of t he t enet s by which Druids live t heir lives t oday.

Cent ral t o everyt hing is t rut h.

These days, t rut h is usually considered t o be t he preserve of language. Yet it has a much broader scope as it applies t o t he right ness or fit ness of all t hings, in what ever form t hey exist ? spoken and writ t en st at ement s, cert ainly, but also act ions, const ruct s, t hought s, emot ions, places, and ideas.

Not ions of falsehood t ake t heir shape from t his.

THE FI RE I N THE HEA D BEI NG DRUI D, PA RT ONE GRA EM E K TA LBOYS Underlying t he universe are pat t erns and relat ionships t hat const it ut e what some call t he nat ural order and ot hers call t he laws of nat ure. Underst anding and working in concord wit h t hose principles t o achieve some part icular right end is what Druids do. This is also somet imes known as magic.

I f we were t o make a dist inct ion, it would be t hat magic is t he right working wit h t hose principles whilst t rut h is t he right measure of t hose principles. That is, magic is underst anding t he right ness or fit ness of a word, of an act ion, of behaviour, of t he way we live, and using t hat underst anding t o achieve some right desired end.

Trut h is t he degree t o which t he word, t he act ion, t he behaviour, t he way we live is in accord wit h t hose principles.

Ancest ral Druids underst ood t his. Being aware of and underst anding t his is what t hey do t oday as well, but in a world more complicat ed t han our ancest ors could have imagined.

This means t hat t hose who follow t he Druid Way work t o underst and t he universe and t he pat t erns and relat ionships on which it is based as well as t he way in which it evolves in t he here and now. This is t he t rut h t hey seek Trut h provides t he raw mat erial wit h which t hey work because knowledge and underst anding are quit e meaningless unless t hey are applied. The work t hey do is known as service. For ancest ral Druids, service was ult imat ely concerned wit h maint aining mat erial, social, and spirit ual balance.

Today, it is about rest oring t he balance t hat once exist ed ? showing t hat t here are boundaries t hat t he universe has a voice t hat must be heard, t hat t here are bet t er pat hs t o t read.

Seeking out and working t o underst and t rut h enables right act ion. That is, act ion in accord wit h nat ural law undert aken for t he benefit of t he commonweal.

Alt hough Druids have no single definit ive moral code handed t o t hem by a deity or a prophet , t hey do have a highly developed sense of et hics. Because t he rules are not available in a handy lit t le book, however, t hey have t o ensure t hat what t hey t hink, say, and do are et hical and relevant .

Adherence t o t he cent ral import ance of t rut h, combined wit h a belief in freedom of will, leads t o t he pract ice of a form of Sit uat ion Et hics ? a st ance based on cert ain commonly agreed precept s, but equally dependent upon t he circumst ances of a given sit uat ion.

Social st ruct ures, et hical considerat ions, and t he judicial syst em were very different two t housand years ago in t he Celt ic world. Yet t he basis on which Druids approached et hical quest ions is st ill workable and relevant t oday, even in a world dominat ed by st rict and complicat ed legal and et hical syst ems t hat are backed up wit h t he t hreat of ret ribut ive punishment for t hose who t ransgress.

The t rouble wit h modern syst ems is t hat t hey exist outwit h t he person. There is no sense of inherency, no sense of engagement . I n part icular, responsibility is perceived as lying elsewhere. Society is so complicat ed and disjoint ed, so highly compet it ive and adversarial, t hat it is easy t o feel t hat laws and et hical syst ems are lacking in relevance t o everyday life. Law-makers, enforcers (a t erm t hat says a great deal in it self), judges, and moralist s are rarely part of t he community t hey are meant t o serve and increasingly behave in ways t hat put s t hem at odds wit h t hat community.

Honour and responsibility require an int elligent and free response t o life. Freedom of will is crucial. I f someone has no genuine choice, t hen no mat t er how well t hat person may seem t o behave, it has not been done honourably.

I t is t he same wit h responsibility.

Where a person act s freely, t hey have t o be prepared t o accept responsibility for what t hey have done. No one and not hing else can be blamed. The two, honour and responsibility, are inext ricably linked, part of a cycle. To t ake responsibility (in any sense of t he word) is t o behave honourably. To behave honourably is t o t ake responsibility for one?s place in t he world.

That place is not always a comfort able one. M any Druids live unconvent ionally and t heir met aphysical st ance oft en places t hem at t he edge of or complet ely ?out side? of t he society in which t hey live. This can make life difficult , but t hey do not consider t hemselves beyond or superior t o society. They are respect ful of t he ways of ot hers, even if t hey do not always like t hem.

THE FI RE I N THE HEA D BEI NG DRUI D, PA RT ONE GRA EM E K TA LBOYS This does not mean t hat Druids are acquiescent . Where t here are point s of conflict , t heir inst inct is t o work t o resolve t hese issues. I f t here are aspect s of society t hey feel t o be wrong, t hey work t o change t hem. However, t hat is always done in a way t hat is in accord wit h t heir principles.

Respect is not confined t o t he human realm. The world and everyt hing in it is endowed wit h spirit . Druids recognize an essent ial unity of life. Believing t hat all t hings are connect ed, t hey ident ify wit h t he rest of t he world. That means t hey t ake care t o live here as light ly as t hey can.

They are generally well informed on many issues and are oft en act ively involved in work t o prot ect animals from cruelty, forest s from dest ruct ion, t he Land and t he Sea from wholesale devast at ion, t he displacement of indigenous peoples by large corporat ions, and so on.

This is part and parcel of t heir sense of ident ity. M ost people might consider or express t heir connect ion wit h t he nat ural world by analogy, Druids believe t hey are ident ical. This st ems from t he dist inct ion t hat t hey learn t o make between what is self and what is not self.

Whilst genet ics creat e some of t he paramet ers wit hin which we are and can be influenced, who we are is t he result of all t he environment s in which we circulat e. Wit hin t hose environment s, t he single largest influent ial fact or is ot her people and we evolve as persons by int eract ing wit h t hem. We all do t his in different ways and t o different degrees but it is people who make people.

Pagans in general and Druids in part icular believe t hat what t hey are is due (if only in part ) t o t heir int eract ion wit h t he world. As persons, t hey ext end beyond t he epidermis t o include all t hat t hey experience at any given t ime. This will include ot her people, animals, plant s, object s, machines, ideas, sensat ions, dreams, and so on.

They believe t hat we go t hrough life expanding and cont ract ing in a vit al dance in which t he essent ial self lives it s own life wit hout ever being separat ed from creat ion; t hat we are all part of one anot her, part of every creat ure, part of every st one and st ar, part of all t hat is: Harm t o any part of t he world is harm t o t hemselves.

There is, of course, a great deal more t han t his, alt hough it is invariably derived in some way from t he basic precept s ment ioned above. By it s very nat ure, t he Druid Way is organic and t hose who follow it explore at great lengt h, read widely, t hink deeply, and act wit h care.

The sources from which t hey draw t heir t eachings and from which t hey draw t heir et hical posit ion are oft en enigmat ic. This means t hat not hing ever becomes rigid for each new cont ribut ion t o t he debat e and each st ep in t he relat ionship moves t hings forward in a way t hat keeps t hose ideas alive and relevant , firmly root ed in t he real world.

This t hen const it ut es t he fire in t he head. Once t hat sacred flame is kindled, it helps light t he way t hrough what can be, at t imes, considerable darkness. Becoming Druid is t o change one?s whole at t it ude t o t he world and t o society.

I t is not easy. But t here is always help for not only is it t he light of a visionary experience, but it also represent s t hat ot her aspect of being Druid ? community. No mat t er how much t hey may work alone, being Druid has always been about t he commonweal. That sacred flame is also t he heart h around which Druids sit , t he place from which t hey vent ure out and t he place t o which t hey ret urn.

Ask t en Druids what it means t o be Druid and you will get eleven answers. This has been t he twelft h.

Graeme K Talboys has been on t he Druid pat h for more t han forty years. He used t o t each and now writ es full t ime. His Druid books are list ed below. He also writ es fict ion and St ealing int o Wint er, t he first in a new fant asy series, is published by HarperVoyager in July.

The Druid Way M ade Easy

ht t p:/ / www.hive.co.uk/ book/ t he-druid-wa Way of t he Druid

ht t p:/ / www.amazon.co.uk/ Way-Druid-Reb t he Pat h t hrough t he Forest (wit h Julie Whit e) ht t p:/ / www.hive.co.uk/ book/ t he-pat h-t hr Arianrhod?s Dance (wit h Julie Whit e)

ht t p:/ / www.hive.co.uk/ book/ arianrhods-d t he Voice wit hin t he Wind (under t he pen name Greywind)

ht t p:/ / www.hive.co.uk/ book/ t he-voice-wit

HERBS THROUGH THE AGES

BY LORRAINE ELLISON Hist orians oft en say t hat ?hist ory is writ t en by winners?, t his is also said in herbal medicine.

Almost every cult ure, from Ancient Egypt ians t o Nat ive Americans, have herbal lore and t radit ions t hat cont ain a wealt h of informat ion. Sadly, in Great Brit ain, an immense amount of t his knowledge has vanished being lost during t he persecut ion of wit ches during t he reign of K ing James VI of Scot land (I of England and I reland)and again during t he English civil wars. Alt hough every nat ion has it s own medical hist ory, herbal medicine in t he UK now combines medical t radit ions from all around t he globe, using Got u Kola from t he I ndian sub-cont inent , Ginko from China, Echinacea from nat ive American knowledge, Guarana from Sout h America, and Devils Claw from Africa. There are many more being used from t hroughout t he world.

Local herbs have been used for millennia and were rit ualist ically used by cult ures such as t he Ancient Egypt ians, Romans, Greeks, and many, many more.

Herbal medicine is and always has been accessible t hrough growing wild along t he hedge-rows and could be picked as needed. Apot hecaries and market s also bought herbs gat hered from t he count ry-side as well as import ing herbs and spices from along t he Silk Road or furt her abroad.

Nowadays t hese herbs are readily accessible from herbal health stores. I n Brit ain?s mult i-cult ural society t oday, herbs from around t he world are available from a wide range of sources, which we can use in cooking or t o make herbal t eas, t inct ures, creams, et c.

As t ime has passed, herbal knowledge has been passed from generat ion t o generat ion, from mot her t o daught er, fat her t o son, t eacher t o apprent ice.

I n Great Brit ain, t he sharing of herbal knowledge became less frequent , almost dying out t hrough fear of being classed as a wit ch in t he M iddle Ages and wit h t he widespread t eaching of ort hodox medicine t hat is known t oday.

For t housands of years plant s have formed t he basis of nat ural t herapies, including Ayurveda, which originat ed in I ndia almost 5000 years ago and Chinese medicine t hat was developed around t he same t ime. Today plant s are st ill used t o alleviat e aches and pains, boost immunity and kill germs wit h t heir efficacy being support ed by scient ific research as well as anecdot al evidence. M any prescribed drugs from t he pharmacist as well as ot her over t he count er drugs are plant derivat ives.

PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE TRYING ANY HERBAL REMEDIES.

TRI BUTE TO SI R TERRY PRATCHETT (28TH APRI L 1948 M ARCH 12TH 2015)

BY Victoria Claire Furminger

Sir Terry Prat chet t died on Thursday, 12t h of M arch. He had st ruggled wit h early-onset Alzheimer?s - what he called his ?Embuggerance? - since 2007 and passed away peacefully in his sleep. ?What significance is t his for a pagan magazine?? I hear you ask. Well, Terry Prat chet t was probably one of t he best non-pagan pagan writ ers out t here. He not only wrot e about wit ches, he underst ood wit chcraft in it s purest form.

Prat chet t ?s wit ches had no use for shiny jewellery or magickal it ems (well, maybe M agrat Garlick but t hen again, she is t he M aiden wit ch), t hey know about pent acles but will have no t ruck wit h t hem and will not use an at hame when a bread-knife is just as good (plus has t he added bonus of t hat you can use it t o cut bread wit h lat er).

No, Prat chet t ?s wit ches are t he wit ches of hist ory: t he wise women, t he ones t hat knew which herb would cure what ailment and which would poison you.

They are t he midwives t hat brought you int o t he world and t he nurses t hat ease your passing out of it . They are t he ones you go t o when you feel wronged, for advice, for knowledge. They are not always nice, as Granny Weat herwax says: ?We do right , we don?t do nice? (?I Shall Wear M idnight ?).

He used t he t radit ional t hree wit ches format . There was M agrat Garlick (and lat er Agnes Nit t ), The M aiden; Nanny Ogg, most definit ely The M ot her; and Granny Weat herwax, t he? err? Ot her One and undeniable leader of t he t hree.

They hardly ever did any magic in any recognisable form but used more psychological met hods, such as ?Headology?, of which Granny was especially adept .

Prat chet t once symbolised t he difference between old wit chcraft and modern-day pagans in t he form of a duel between Granny Weat herwax and t he shiny new wit ch on t he block, Diamanda Tockley (born Lucy Tockley but t ook t he name Diamanda because it was more myst ical). The challenge was t o st are at t he sun. Nanny, knowing t hat Granny would fail t his because she had been up all night on ot her business (see Lords And I t has been said t hat t he difference Ladies), ent iced her grandson, Pewsey, t o run across t he magic between Psychology and circle in which t he duel was t aking Headology is t hat if you believed place. Crossing t he circle caused you were being chased by a Pewsey t o cry out . Granny looked monst er, a psychiat rist will away from t he sun, got up and convince you t hat t here are no ret urned Pewsey t o his monst ers coming aft er you, grandmot her. While Diamanda was whereas a headologist will hand t he t echnical winner of t he duel, you a bat and a chair t o st and on t he crowd considered Granny t o be (Wikipeida). I t ?s t hat pract ical t he best wit ch, because wit ches are element t hat Prat chet t infused supposed t o help young boys who int o wit chcraft t hat seems t o be cry inst ead of being selfish missing from a lot of modern-day ('Wit ches'). pagans.

TRI BUTE TO SI R TERRY PRATCHETT (28TH APRI L 1948 M ARCH 12TH 2015)

BY Victoria Claire Furminger

Prat chet t also wrot e about a young wit ch-in-t raining called Tiffany Aching and it ?s wit h t he four Aching books (?Wee Free M en?, ?A Hat Full Of Sky?, ?Wint ersmit h?, and ?I Shall Wear M idnight ?) t hat he really shows his knowledge of Paganism. I n t hese books he shows t hat t he craft chooses you, not you choose t he craft and t hat t he only way t o learn is wit h hard work and dedicat ion. One of my favourit e exchanges is from ?Wint ersmit h? and is between Tiffany and her mot her, and sums t his up perfect ly: ?Tiffany got up early and lit t he fires.

When her mot her came down, she was scrubbing t he kit chen floor, very hard. ?Er? aren?t you supposed t o do t hat sort of t hing by magic, dear?? said her mot her, who?d never really got t he hang of what wit chcraft was all about . ?No, M um, I ?m supposed not t o,? said Tiffany, st ill scrubbing.

?But can?t you just wave your hand and make all t he dirt fly away, t hen?? ?The t rouble is get t ing t he magic t o underst and what dirt is,? said Tiffany, scrubbing hard at a st ain. ?I heard of a wit ch over in Escrow who got it wrong and ended up losing t he ent ire floor and her sandals and nearly a t oe.?

M rs. Aching backed away. ?I t hought you just had t o wave your hands about ,? she mumbled nervously. ?That works,? said Tiffany, ?but only if you wave t hem about on t he floor wit h a scrubbing brush.??

Prat chet t also t alks about t he t urning of t he year, t he love between t he Goddess of t he Summer and t he God of t he Wint er who can only meet twice a year, and t he Dark M orris (it works like t his, if a M orris Dance is t o welcome t he Summer back, it st ands t o reason t hat t he Dark M orris is t o welcome t he Wint er in).

There is some debat e as t o whet her Terry Prat chet t called himself an at heist or a pagan. He once said t he gods loved an at heist as it gives t hem somet hing t o aim at , but he was also pleased t hat his works resonat ed so deeply wit h pagans.

He underst ood Paganism. He was an amazing man as well as a wonderful writ er and will be sorely missed across t he globe/ disc.

Sir Terry Prat chet t 1948 - 2015

OSTA RA RI TUA LS

BY GA YLA ROGERS On or around t he 21st of M arch we have Ost ara t o celebrat e. I t 's t he vernal equinox if you live in t he Nort hern Hemisphere. Spring is here. There are many ways t o celebrat e t his holiday. M any depend on your t radit ion and upbringing and whet her you have children in your life t o celebrat e wit h.

Rit uals and ceremonies, typically Ost ara are celebrat ed as a t ime t o enjoy t he st art of spring and t o celebrat e t he fert ility of t he land t oo. Wat ch agricult ural changes such as t he warmer weat her or t he plant s growing from t he ground. You will know exact ly how t o celebrat e t he season t hat 's right for you.

Ostara M agic Spring is a t ime of rebirt h and renewal. Now is a great t ime t o do spring magic like gardening. As Ost ara comes you can decorat e your homes wit h St . Pat ricks day snake wreat hs and spring wreat hs or make a fairy house for your garden from a bird house. No pagan celebrat ion is complet e wit hout a meal! For Ost ara celebrat e wit h foods t hat honor t he season like eggs, early spring greens, shoot s and sprout s and ham! Don't forget t he peeps!

Candle colours- yellow, green, gold, and all past el colours Spring deit ies are- Eost re (saxon goddess of fert ility). Ost ara(German Goddess of fert ility and t he green goddess, and t he Lord of t he Greenwood.

The spring equinox sabbat incenses are Jasmine, African Violet , Rose, Sage, and St rawberry.

Sacred Gemst ones are Aquamarine, Amet hyst , bloodst one, and red Jasper. The t radit ional rit ual hers are acorn East er lily, celandine, crocus, cinquefoil, dogwood, daffodil, st rawberry, pansy, violet s, honeysuckle, iris, and jasmine.

Spring equinox alt er decorat ions are hard boiled eggs wit h magickal symbols , runes and paint ed t o symbolize fert ility. Also a lucky rabbit s foot , rabbit figurine and or a bowl of green and yellow jelly beans..

Foods of t he Spring equinox are honey cakes, hard-boiled eggs, waffles, mild punch, and t he first fruit s of t he season.

The spring equinox is a minor sabbat . I t is also known as t he vernal equinox fest ival of Ost ara, (and rit e of Esost re is celebrat ed on t he first day of spring.)

OSTA RA RI TUA LS

BY GA YLA ROGERS Seed b l essi ng ri tual On t he spring equinox if you wish t o bless your seeds from eit her t he harvest before or your sat ire bought packs if seeds, here is a rit ual t o do. Perform at sunset in a clockwise cast circle. Put your seeds in a basket or cauldron.

Using eit her your wand or your at hame, draw t hrice a pent agram in t he air over t he seeds and say; (as wint er's reign comes t o an end and spring brings warmt h and light t he spirit of t hese seeds I do call fort h on Ost ara's sacred night . From your rest do dark and loud, awaken now wit h birt h! You shall in t ime grow green and st rong in t he soil of mot her eart h. So mot e it be!

Here is an example of a rit ual t hat could be done by a solit ary pract it ioner or a coven. I t can of course be changed t o suit e t he needs of t he group if needed. I find t his one part icularly beaut iful.

I nv ok e th e w atch tow ers East -wat er Hail t o t he guardians of t he wat cht owers of t he east , t he powers of wat er. Swirling wat ers of oceans blue, grant us fresh ideas anew! We, your wit ches, invoke your presence as we celebrat e t he t riumph of light over darkness. So more it be.

Sout h- Air Hail t o t he guardians of t he wat cht owers of t he sout h, t he powers of air. I call upon you t o at t end t hese rit es, and share wit h us your gift s- t he gent le breeze! The Sweet scent of spring flowers, t he beaut iful breat h of life and t he ability t o know, underst and and communicat e. Come! We, your wit ches invoke your presence as we celebrat e t he t riumph of light over darkness. So mot e it be.

West - Fire Hail t o t he guardians of t he wat cht owers of t he west , t he powers of fire. Come! And fill t he souls of each individual in t his circle t onight wit h t he power and st rengt h t hat we require t o drench t he seeds of our desires wit h t he fire of t ransformat ion! We, you wit ches, invoke your presence as we celebrat e t he t riumph of light over darkness. So mot e it be.

Nort h- Eart h Hail t o t he guardians of t he nort h, t he powers of Eart h. Corner of all power, guard our circle! Give us your ancient wisdom. Bring us knowledge, growt h, and fert ility. Reveal t hy myst eries, t his sacred night . We, your wit ches, invoke your presence as we celebrat e t he t riumph of light over darkness. so mot e it be!

HPS We gat her t oget her t his evening in t he presence of t he old Gods, wit hout malice, wit hout jealousy, wit hout envy.

Wit hout fear of aught beneat h t he moon, but t he high Gods. We celebrat e t he M aiden, The light of life, which is bright as a flame before us. A guiding st ar above us. A smoot h pat h beneat h us. M ay t his flame be kindles wit hin out hears, a flame of love for our neighbors, t o our kindred all, we gat her t his equinox night in honor of t he virginal daught er of Cerridwen. The M aiden of Spring.

OSTA RA RI TUA LS

BY GA YLA ROGERS I nvocation of the Goddess By t he flowers of t he field, o lady of delight by t he crops t hy blessing yield, we invoke t hy Prince in kernels and sheaves. We see t hy face in t he moonlit leave come int o our circle wit hin t his holy space daught er of t he eart h, drinking, sunlight queen of plant s, Sist er of night , by leaf and twig, n eart h, by wat er, and by root and bough! come t o us now!

Bring us your fruit , where ever it t hrives, M ist ress of herbs, unlock your power and lead us I n your leafy bower. in love and jou we call you name. wit h comfort ing hope you ease our pain we feel t hy st irring in our blood. o lady clear, we feel t he near in spring a maiden wit h Flowers crowned, in summer and harvest , t he mot her renewed. I n fall and wint er, t he had hols sway yet , t he M aiden remains mont hs away. great t riple Goddess t he seasons flow and ebb t o t hy will, as you come and go. we call upon t hee- Persephone!

We call upon t hee Eost ! We call upon t hee Aine! We call upon t hee Arianrod!

We feel your presence here! Blessed be! ( As you call out each goddess name t urn and face a different direct ion t hat way you, call fort h one for each. Have t he part icipant s repeat t he names aft er you aloud, so t hat all are calling out t o t he goddess t o come.)

I nv ocati on to th e God Lord of t he Springt ime, fat her of flower field and of fruit . Smile on us as t he days grow longer wherefore is t he green of t he growt h, t he amazing sight of t he renewal of t he eart h. Therefore, by seed and root , by st em and by leaf and flower and fruit . Do we invoke t hee, Lord of light and new springs sun.

M ove our bodies our minds and our spirit s, t o lean a whole new rhyt hm. The rhyt hmic pulse of t he renewing forest s. M ay spring come t o us be in us and recreat e life in us.

We call upon t hee Adonis!

We call upon t hee-Baldus!

We call upon t hee Apollo!

We call upon t hee Bacchus!

We feel your presence here. Blessed Be. Do t he same wit h t he God invocat ion as you did wit h t he Goddess.

Now prepare everyone t o t ake t he journey medit at ion

OSTA RA RI TUA LS

BY GA YLA ROGERS Now we will get comfort able, and close our eyes, and t ake a deep cleansing breat h, t o prepare for our journey. For t onight we t ravel back in t ime t o t he t ime t o our pagan ancest ors, t o an egg hunt as if may it may have been in t he old ways. (get everyone in a medit at ive st at e, you may have t o lead t hem t hrough a grounding and cent ering first , t hen proceed) See in your mind's eye it is just daybreak on t he day of t he equinox. The glorious new sun is just risen over t he horizon and you can just see t he first rays of sunlight slant ing t hrough t he t he branches of t he forest canopy.

Smell t he fresh scent of pine and inhale t he fragrance of t he forest morning. As you walk slowly forward , hear t he rust ling of t he foliage as you gent ly brush past t hem. You see a pat h ahead, you are t aking t hat pat h, st rolling along t he pat h you are enjoying t he sight of t he forest at day-break.

Hear t he birds waking up and calling t o each ot her. Pray at t ent ion t o where you heard t he bird songs coming from for you are searching for a birds nest t his morning. As you walk for past t rees and bushes look int ent ly and examine each closely for nest ing act ivity. (pause here for a bit ) Suddenly you hear t he beat ing of wings very close by, and you see a bird flying away from you, squawking t o get your at t ent ion. You know he want s t o t ake you away from t he nest . Examine t he out side of t he nest closely, as you can get wit hout dist urbing it . See what mat erials t he bird used and how cleverly t he nest has been woven. Not ice how t he nest is at t ached t o t he branches and how t he st ray piece of fabric has been woven in.

Now t hat you have t he eggs in hand gent ly cradle t hem in your hand and walk back down t he pat h. Go quick as you don't want t o st ay near t he nest . you come t o a split in t he pat h and t ake t he ot her pat h and come beside a small pond. See t he reflect ion of t he rising sun in t he wat er. Hear t he birds and ot her wildlife st irring as your approach slowly. (and by t he wat er and place your eggs gent ly in t he grass.)

Now, Look at t he area around t he pond. You are hoping t o find reeds t here. Ones t hat are about 3 feet high and at least an inch wide. There! Go t o t he reeds you have discovered and gent ly pull some out of t he marshy side of t he pond, be careful not t o fall in.'

Carry t he reeds back and lay one down on t he grass and t hen lay five more down. now t ake anot her and weave in and out . and repeat . Take all 6reeds and lay t hem on t he ground and put t he ot her six weaving in and out .Leave t he ends loose.

Now t ake anot her and weave it around t he edges of t he square t o make t he side. K eep going unt il you reach t he end of t he side. Some of t hem will be longer t han ot hers, t uck t hem in. Even up t he t op t his way. Now look at you handiwork! What a great basket ! Place your eggs inside and prepare t o walk back t o t he pat h. You find it easily. I n t he st rengt hening morning light , you hear t he birds. You go back along t he pat h, t his t ime t aking t he fork leading back home.

When you arrive back at t he circle, open your eyes. (of any do not underst and what t hey did, explain t hat t his represent s what we believe may have been t he originat ion of egg hint s and basket s.)

Now it s a good t ime t o get t hem all up and raising energy wit h dancing or singing et c. t o charge t he eggs t hat are on t he side of t he alt ar. Some appropriat e songs are " She will bring back t he buds in t he spring", "We are t he flow, we are t he ebb", and t he "I sis, Ast art e, et c" chant s.

Aft er charging is done, explain t hat each person shall t ake an egg, and what ever signs, symbols, et c are on t he egg is what t hey need t o focus on unt il t he next moon. Go around wit h t he basket and have each person t ake what t hey want , t hen, have everyone eat t he eggs and ingest t he seed.

OSTA RA RI TUA LS

BY GA YLA ROGERS Great Rit e Thank t he God/ Goddess .

We are poised in t he moment of equal light and dark. The breat hless point of balance between sun and moon. As we bid farewell t o t he cold purificat ion of wint er, in t hat same moment we fling wide our arms t o t he embrace of t he warmt h and glory of t he spring sun, Bu wit h us as we cont inue our lives journey.

Throughout t his season and t hose t o come as we grow ever closer t o your prot ect ion, t he t rue light t hat shines wit h us all. BB East person; behold my brot hers and sist ers, t he spring has come. t he eart h has received t he embraces of t he sun.

Sout h person; We shall soon see t he result s of t his love as every seed is awakened and so is all animal life.

West person; We shall soon see t he result s of t his love as every seed is awakened and so is all animal life.

West person; I t is t hought t his myst ery t hat we t oo have our being. Therefore we respect our neighbors.

Nort h person; We respect also our animal neighbors, as we all have t he same right t o imahanit t his world.

HP and Hps; in perfect love and perfect t rust so mot e it be/ Dismiss wat cht owers East -Wat er Hail t o t hee guardians of t he wat cht ower of t he east , t he powers of wat er. We t hank you for joining our Ost ara celebrat ion t onight as we depart t o your mighty realms, we bid t hee hail and farewell, harm none on your way. so more it be Sout h-air Hail t hee guardian of t he wat ch otwer of t he sout h, t he powers of air. We t hank you for joining us t his night and now as you depart t o your mighty realms, we bid t hee hail and fair well, and harm ye none on your way. so more it be West - fire Hail t o t hee guardian of t he wat cht owers of t he west t he powers of fire. We have felt your fire and t hank you for t he energy you have lent t o our workings t onight . As ye deport t o your mighty realms we bid t hee jail and farewell and harm ye none on your way. so mot e it be!

Nort h- Eart h Hail t o t hee guardians of t he wat cht ower of t he nort h, t he powers of eart h, we t hank you for at t ending our celebrat ion. We praise and bless t hee for plant ing t he seed of wisdom, t rut h, and enlight enment . as ye depart t o your mighty realms, we bid t hee hail and farewell, and harm ye none on your way. So mot e it be.

Close circle This is an example of how an Ost ara Rit ual might be done. You can even writ e your own, t he only limit at ion you will find is in your own mind, your imaginat ion. Have fun wit h it , praise and bless God/ Goddess for t he spring blessing we already have and t he ones yet t o come. Feel t he magic and energy of t he celebrat ion course t hrough you and let yourself be immersed in t he magic of t he night . Everyone have a safe and blessed Ost ara.

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LI TERARY CORNER When a Pagan Prays by Nimue Brown, published

by M oon Books, reviewed by Tommy Elf This is my fift h t ime reading t his book in five mont hs. I t s quit e odd, every t ime I read it - I get somet hing new from t he pages - as if I missed a lit t le snippet here or t here when reading it because I was t oo focused on t his or t hat aspect . I have been a Pagan since 1986, when I happened across a Wiccan Priest ess on a local Bullet in Board Service (BBS). I n all t he t ime I have st udied and read about Pagans and Paganism, never once have I considered how prayer would ent er int o t he equat ion.

Seriously. I t s never been a t op priority in my st udies, and not even an aft er t hought .

I t s been propped up on a shelf, and left t here for t he dust t o collect .

And t hen along comes Nimue's book, and I blow t he dust off of t he

concept - and am int roduced t o a side of Paganism I had never cont emplat ed before.

And like I said before, I am finding new point s about prayer and Paganism t hat I had never considered wit h each successive reading.

Her approach is t o first let you know where she is coming from, as well as t o define some of t he concept s from her perspect ive. I n my opinion, t his is an excellent st art as it lays out t he groundwork for how t o approach t he t opic - as well as providing a sounding board for your own personal differences.

From t here, Nimue walks you around t he t opic, and around and around and around each t ime you t hink she is going t o make t he same point as before when t he circuit ends and she merely builds from t here. The t opic begins t o climb, one bit at a t ime. I n t he end, you find yourself at a great pinnacle - looking back and discovering how lit t le you really

t hought about t he concept of prayer and how it int egrat es int o Paganism. Or at least t hat 's what I got from it . I will make one recommendat ion: t ake your t ime. M ake not es.

K eep a lit t le journal of your t hought s. And when you are finished reading - go back over what you wrot e, and see if you are st ill looking for clues and informat ion. I f so, do t he same process for a second reading - I was surprised at how much I had missed t hrough my first reading. And my second. And my t hird. Do I recommend t his book? Nine Hells, yes! I t s definit ely somet hing t hat will make you t hink and post ulat e your posit ion.

As she not es in t he beginning of t he book if you are looking for a How-To book on Druidry - t his is not t he place for t hat .

What you will find is a lot of food for t hought ...

LI TERARY CORNER

V oices of the Sacred Feminine,

by Dr Karen Tate, published by Changemakers Books, reviewed

by Laura Perry.

M yt hology drives cult ure and hence polit ics and t he economy, so in order t o change polit ics and economics, we have t o change t he myt hology. That is exact ly what K aren Tat e has been doing for nearly a decade now wit h her radio show Voices of t he Sacred Feminine. Her new book, also t it led Voices of t he Sacred Feminine, is an ant hology t hat collect s many powerful t hought s about Goddess spirit uality as a t ool for implement ing t hat change on a personal, community and world level. Some of t he pieces are essays writ t en for t his collect ion and some are t ranscript s of int erviews from t he radio show; all offer valuable insight s int o ways we can shift t he current paradigm t oward a more balanced, compassionat e one.

Voices of t he Sacred Feminine is not a polemic ? t hough of course, people st eeped in t he limit ed monot heist ic pat riarchal worldview may view it as such ? but an encouragement t o move forward, evolve, and heal, bot h wit hin ourselves and in our communit ies at large. The wide variety of women and, yes, men who cont ribut ed t heir t hought s t o t his collect ion provide us wit h a window int o Goddess spirit uality in

it s great diversity as well as it s underlying unity. I n t hese pages you will find right eous anger, cert ainly, but also compassion, inclusion, and t he st ubborn fearlessness t hat has allowed women t o survive and even occasionally t hrive t hroughout t he cent uries of male dominat ion. I t is t hese qualit ies t hat drive us forward as we work t o change t he world.

The book is divided int o several sect ions based on several overarching t opics. The first sect ion, which addresses t he exist ence of t he Sacred Feminine and it s (Her) manifest at ion in t he world, gives us glimpses int o divine forces from M ary M agdalene t o Lady Liberty. These essays and int erviews remind us t hat t he Goddess is always relevant in every day and t ime and t hat t o leave Her out is t o risk dangerous imbalance, as we have seen for so long in worldwide society. The second sect ion offers a variety of journeys int o healing t hrough opening ourselves t o t he Goddess in Her many guises. Whet her it ?s a formal rit ual, a medit at ive reading, or a t hought -provoking essay about why t he Goddess should be import ant t o men, each piece suggest s a way t oward t he healing t hat is necessary if we are t o put ourselves, and our world, back t oget her again. The t hird sect ion focuses on t he values and

paradigms t hat Goddess spirit uality offers t o t he realms of polit ics and business. How wonderful it would be if t he cooperat ive, egalit arian spirit of t he Sacred Feminine infect ed our government s and companies! But t hat won?t happen on it s own; we have t o work for it . And t he fift h sect ion shows us exact ly how we can achieve t hat goal. Sacred act ivism is a concept t hat can help us bridge t he gap between personal spirit uality and doing good in t he world. The Goddess lives in all of us and She empowers us t o speak out against t he current , damaging paradigm. But inst ead of just complaining, we must offer a replacement , a new model. Voices of t he Sacred Feminine addresses exact ly t his issue, t his need t o find a bet t er way and t o t ake act ion t o implement it in t he world. As M s.

Tat e so percept ively comment s, we must t ake on t he t aboo subject s of sex, religion, power and polit ics if we are t o change t hem, and wit h t he Goddess at our side, I believe we will ult imat ely succeed.

LI TERARY CORNER

Facing the Darkness -- Cat Treadwell, published by M oon Books, reviewed by Tommy Elf. Everyone has had t hose moment s of int ernal darkness. Those moment s where it feels like t he ent ire world is looking down t heir nose at you. Those moment s where you t hink t he Flint st ones charact er Schleprock was writ t en about you (t he charact er t hat always has a rain cloud wit h light ning following him around). And rarely is t here anyone who seems willing t o just sit and list en and UNDERSTAND wit hout judging. Well, here's someone t hat will - and since she cannot clone herself millions of t imes over for t he world (t hough I like t hat idea) - Cat Treadwell has writ t en "Facing t he Darkness".

The book is essent ially broken int o t hree part s t hat are in nearly every part of t he t it led areas.

Regular typeface describes an issue or feeling or emot ion - helping t he reader t o reflect how t his part icular area may or may not help t hem in working t hrough t heir current st at e. The bolded sect ion has simply worded lessons and/ or act ivit ies t hat are t here t o help t he reader wit h a proact ive moment t o st art t he process of dealing wit h t heir int ernal dragons. The last but not in all sect ions - are it alicized comment s and examples of how ot hers have worked wit h

issues wit hin t heir own lives. Taken t oget her, t he mat erial provides a st art ing point in dealing wit h one's dragons (my t erm for one's personal issues). You don't need t o slay your dragon - just learn how t o get t hat dragon t o calm down and be more house-t rained in your world - so t o speak. M uch like Cat 's "A Druid's Tale" t he mat erial is warm and invit ing. I n many places, Cat reminds t he reader of such mundane t asks as "making a cup of t ea." The charm of bot h "Facing t he Darkness" and "A Druid's Tale" is t hat you can act ually feel yourself having t hat cup of t ea wit h Cat . And wit h a t opic such as t his - it s t hat warm feeling of having a cup of t ea and chat t ing wit h her t hat brings t he experience of spending t ime t alking wit h someone - even if it s all just in your mind for t he moment .

M any of her exercises and medit at ions in t his book, I have ut ilized in slight ly different forms many ot hers, I have not . And while I hope not t o have an experience where I would need t o use t hose exercises - I am comfort ed t o have t his book in my library. Or even have it t here for a friend who may have need of it in t he fut ure. An absolut ely wonderful book on a very difficult t opic.

LI TERARY CORNER

Pagan Portals: Kitchen Witchcraft

by Rachel Patterson, published by M oon Books Reviewed by M abh Savage The phrase 'K it chen Wit chcraft ' conjures up brewing pot ions and hanging herbs, and while t his of course can be t he case, t he experienced wit ch knows t he kit chen can be t he beat ing heart of t heir home, where t he mat erial and t he myst ical meld t o creat e magic.

Rachel approaches t his t opic wit h just such a t heory in mind, and makes no assumpt ions about t he level of skill or experience of t he reader. I t 's import ant t o bear in mind t hat as part of t he Pagan Port als series, t his book is int ended as a brief int roduct ion t o K it chen Wit chcraft . Having said t hat , for such a slim volume, Rachel manages t o pack in a great deal of info.

She st art s by int roducing t he idea behind kit chen wit chcraft , and giving an overview of t hings t hat may be needed; t ools, ingredient s and at t it ude. Even for t he experienced, t his is a good reminder and also int erest ing t o gain an insight int o what anot her experienced wit ch has in t heir own cupboards, physical and ot herwise.

The eight big seasonal pagan fest ivals are discussed wit h part icular focus on what kit chen craft s can be used t o celebrat e t hem. I n here are correspondences, incenses and many more hands on ways t o get your worship on. She

also t alks about how t he differing phases of t he moon can affect one's workings, and while t his sect ion is a lit t le simplist ic for t hose experienced in moon magic, again, it is a great point of reference and a good reminder of t he root s of many more complex types of moon magic. She looks at working wit h energy, and how t o ut ilise candle magic, from t he very simple t o t he more convolut ed spells t hat can be worked.

One of my favourit e sect ions of t he book is t he medit at ions in t he final chapt er. Each one is a different journey for a different purpose, and while each is writ t en as a det ailed journey, t here is plenty of scope t o make t he journey your own. Unlike t he narrat ive style which is direct and almost chat ty, t hese writ t en medit at ions have a wonderful dream like quality which is just perfect for get t ing you in t he right frame of mind for approaching t his type of working.

Rachel's style is very accessible and conversat ional. Despit e being almost a reference book at t imes, t his short volume is a complet e page t urner as it is a real pleasure t o read. I t is as if she is in t he room wit h you, t alking you t hrough t he ideas t hat she is obviously passionat e about . This is a very modern way of writ ing about a subject as old as t he hills, and will make t he subject easy t o absorb even for t he complet e

novice. Yet she manages t his while making it a perfect refresher for t he experienced wit ch, by including list s, correspondences and ideas from many pat hs.

This could be my favourit e point of t he book, t hat Rachel does not assume t hat you are Wiccan, or indeed of any part icular religion at all. M ost of t he pract ical t asks in t he book could be complet ed by someone of no religious beliefs at all, as t he main focus is on a connect ion t o nat ure, t he world, and one's self.

There is no limit t o who would enjoy t his volume. The only downside is t hat it is so short , however as an int roduct ory piece, as it is int ended, it is absolut ely ideal. I will definit ely be get t ing a hold of her larger volume, Grimoire of a K it chen Wit ch, t o see if t he style and t hemes are expanded upon. Highly enjoyable, and it has inspired me t o get back in t he kit chen- not somet hing I say every day!

LI TERARY CORNER Carry the Rock by Jessica D Rzeszewski, published by Moon Books, reviewed by Yvonne Ryves Carry t he Rock is an honest , first -hand account by t he aut hor J D Rzeszewski of her experiences as an apprent ice in Tolt ec shamanism wit h a Nagual in Hawaii.

Early on, t he book is very much about t he perceived short comings of t he Nagual who doesn?t work in t he way t he aut hor expect ed, unexpect edly charges for t heir services and who is found t o web have different reference point s for Tolt ec shamanism t han t he aut hor.

As t he book progresses t hough it becomes less and less about t he failure of a Nagual and much more about t he awakening and realisat ion of t he st udent t hat only t hey t hemselves are responsible for t heir learning. The aut hor shows how by st epping int o her own power she is able t o see t he real differences between herself and t he t eacher she had init ially placed on a pedest al.

I really enjoyed reading Carry t he Rock and alt hough a t rue st ory I found myself t urning pages as I would wit h a novel as I want ed t o see what happened next in t he aut hor?s journey. I would definit ely recommend it t o anyone seeking a t eacher in any modality as it really

does highlight some of t he pit falls.

COMING SOON

FROM MOON

Elen Sentier Launches Her Shaman Pathways Series The Celtic Chak ras Tread t he Brit ish nat ive shaman?s pat h, walk t he Celt ic chakra spiral labyrint h.

I SBN 978-1-78099-506-9 Price £ 4.99 / $9.95 Trees of the Goddess The Trees of t he Goddess and t he old ways of Brit ain M et adat a I SBN 978-1-78279-332-8 Price £ 4.99 / $9.95 Elen of the W ays Follow her deer-t rods t o rediscover her old ways I SBN 978-1-78099-559-5 Price £ 4.99 / $9.95 Follow ing the Deer Trods A handbook for anyone want ing t o begin t he old Brit ish pat hs I SBN 978-1-78279-826-2 Price £ 4.99 / $9.95

BOOK S

RECIPES ST UFFED L EG OF L AMB

INGREDIENTS 2 ½ lb/ 1.2 kg boneless ½ leg of lamb (1.5 kg if bone st ill in) Large handful of flat leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped 3 large cloves garlic, finely sliced 2 ½ oz/ 70g cubed pancet t a or bacon 3 t bsp ext ra virgin olive oil Sea salt and pepper 5 fl oz/ 150ml good red wine 3 ½fl oz/ 100ml veal or beef st ock 2 t sps ice cold but t er cut int o t iny pieces Prep Time: 30 minut es Cook Time: 90 minut es Tot al Time: 120 minut es PREPARATI ON Serves 4

Preheat t he oven t o 350°F/ 170°C/ Gas mark 4.

Remove st ring from leg of lamb and open out t he joint , skin side down. Slash any t hick part s of meat so t he joint lays flat t o t he board.

Evenly sprinkle t he parsley, garlic and Pancet t a over t he surface, and t hen sprinkle generously wit h t he olive oil. Season well wit h salt and pepper. Roll t he joint back up and t ie securely wit h kit chen st ring.

Place t he joint int o a large roast ing t in and cook for 1 hour (rare) 1 hour 15 mins for medium.

Tight ly wrap t he joint in foil and leave t o rest for 10 mins. M eanwhile, carefully pour off any fat from t he roast ing t in and place it on a medium heat on t op of t he st ove. Pour in t he wine carefully scraping up all t he juices st uck on t he bot t om and reduce t o a st icky glaze. Add t he st ock, st ir well and reduce by half. St rain t hrough a fine sieve int o a small saucepan and add t he but t er and shake t he pan gent ly unt il all t he but t er is absorbed. Check and adjust t he seasoning.Slice t he lamb and serve immediat ely on a bed of wilt ed spring greens, surrounded by gravy or mint sauce.

RECIPES MI NI EGGS CHOCOL AT E CAK E

I NGREDI ENTS 175 grams unsalt ed but t er, room t emperat ure 200 grams cast er sugar 4 medium eggs 1 t easpoon espresso powder 1 t easpoon vanilla ext ra 25 grams cocoa powder 100 ml milk 175 grams self raising flour 1 t easpoon baking powder I CI NG 300 ml double cream 200 grams dark chocolat e, broked int o pieces 25 grams but t er DECORATI ON about 800 grams M ini Eggs (about 9-10 90 gram bags, buy ext ra just in case)

CAK E Line two 20 cm baking t ins and pre heat a fan oven t o 150 degrees celius.

Place t he soft ened but t er in a bowl wit h t he sugar and whisk unt il light and fluffy. Add t he eggs one at a t ime, whisking each unt il well combined. Add t he espresso powder, vanilla ext ract and cocoa powder and mix unt il fully incoport at ed.

I n a bowl mix t he flour and baking powder t oget her.

Then fold one t hird of t he flour int o t he chocolat e mixt ure, t hen half t he milk. Repeat unt il everyt hing is just mixed.

Dist ribut e evenly int o t he two baking t ins and place in t he oven for about 20-25 minut es.

Remove when a cake t est er comes out clean. Leave t o cool in t he t ins for about 10 minut es t hen t urn out ont o a wire rack t o cool complet ly.

I CI NG Place 200mls double cream in a pot and heat on a lot heat unt il just before boiling. Pour t he cream int o a bowl wit h t he broken chocolat e t hen add t he but t er.

St ir unt il t he chocolat e complet ely melt s. I f t he chocolat e does not melt , place t he bowl over a pan of gent ly boiling wat er t o finish melt ing.

Leave t he chocolat e t o t he side t o cool. M eanwhile, wit h t he remaining 100mls cream, place it in a double and whisk unt il t hickened. Place 1 t ablespoon of t he chocolat e mixt ure int o t he whipped cream t o t hin out t he cream. Then fold t he cream int o t he chocolat e.

M ake sure t his has cooled as it will st art t o t hicken.

You want it runny enough t o spread but t hick enough t o hold t he eggs.

DECORATI ON When your cakes are complet ely cool, wit hout any icing, line t he cakes on t op of each ot her and if necessary level t he cake. For t his cake, where you want a flat t op, t urn t he t op cake upside down.

Once you have t he sponges ready, place about a quart er of t he icing on t he t op of t he bot t om cake and spread out , t opping wit h t he second cake.

Take t he rest of t he icing and st art ing on one side, place a dollop on one side of t he cake and spread over, pushing t he icing down t he side. Ensure t he whole of t he cake is complet ely covered wit h t he remaining icing. Cover wit h t he M ini Eggs.

RECIPES HUMMI NG BI RD CAK E

St ep 1 Preheat oven t o 170°C. St ep 2 Grease and line t he base of a 23cm square cake pan. Sift flour and spices int o a large bowl. Add sugar, pineapple, coconut , banana, walnut s, eggs and oil. St ir t o combine.

St ep 3

250g self-raising flour

Spread int o lined pan and bake for 40 minut es or unt il a skewer insert ed int o t he cent re comes out clean. Place on a rack and set aside t o cool.

1/ 2 t easpoon ground cinnamon

St ep 4

1/ 2 t easpoon ground coriander

To make icing, place cheese, but t er, vanilla and icing sugar in an elect ric mixer and beat unt il smoot h. Spread on t op of cooled cake. Garnish wit h walnut s, if desired.

I NGREDI ENTS:

270g brown sugar 440g can crushed pineapple, drained 50g desiccat ed coconut 2 ripe bananas, mashed 1/ 2 cup chopped walnut s 2 eggs, light ly beat en 250ml (1 cup) sunflower oil Cream cheese icing 100g cream cheese 50g unsalt ed but t er 1 t easpoon vanilla ext ract 225g (1 1/ 2 cups) icing sugar mixt ure 1/ 2 cup finely chopped walnut s, t o garnish (opt ional)

RECIPES HOT CROSS BUNS I NGREDI ENTS For t he buns 300ml full-fat milk, plus 2 t bsp more 50g but t er 500g st rong bread flour 1 t sp salt 75g cast er sugar 1 t bsp sunflower oil 7g sachet fast -act ion or easy-blend yeast 1 egg, beat en 75g sult anas 50g mixed peel zest 1 orange 1 apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped 1 t sp ground cinnamon For t he cross 75g plain flour, plus ext ra for dust ing For t he glaze 3 t bsp apricot jam

Bring t he milk t o t he boil, t hen remove from t he heat and add t he but t er. Leave t o cool unt il it reaches hand t emperat ure. Put t he flour, salt , sugar and yeast (see Tip, below) int o a bowl.

M ake a well in t he cent re. Pour in t he warm milk and but t er mixt ure, t hen add t he egg.

Using a wooden spoon, mix well, t hen bring everyt hing t oget her wit h your hands unt il you have a st icky dough.

Tip on t o a light ly floured surface and knead by holding t he dough wit h one hand and st ret ching it wit h t he heal of t he ot her hand, t hen folding it back on it self. Repeat for 5 mins unt il smoot h and elast ic. Put t he dough in a light ly oiled bowl. Cover wit h oiled cling film and leave t o rise in a warm place for 1 hr or unt il doubled in size and a finger pressed int o it leaves a dent .

Wit h t he dough st ill in t he bowl, t ip in t he sult anas, mixed peel, orange zest , apple and cinnamon. K nead int o t he dough, making sure everyt hing is well dist ribut ed. Leave t o rise for 1 hr more, or unt il doubled in size, again covered by some well-oiled cling film t o st op t he dough get t ing a crust .

Divide t he dough int o 15 even pieces (about 75g per piece ? see Tip below). Roll each piece int o a smoot h ball on a light ly floured work surface.

Arrange t he buns on one or two baking t rays lined wit h parchment , leaving enough space for t he dough t o expand. Cover (but don?t wrap) wit h more oiled cling film, or a clean t ea t owel, t hen set aside t o prove for 1 hr more.

Heat oven t o 220C/ 200C fan/ gas 7. M ix t he flour wit h about 5 t bsp wat er t o make t he past e for t he cross ? add t he wat er 1 t bsp at a t ime, so you add just enough for a t hick past e. Spoon int o a piping bag wit h a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, t hen repeat in t he ot her direct ion t o creat e crosses . Bake for 20 mins on t he middle shelf of t he oven, unt il golden brown.

Gent ly heat t he apricot jam t o melt , t hen sieve t o get rid of any chunks. While t he jam is st ill warm, brush over t he t op of t he warm buns and leave t o cool.

RECIPES CHOCOL AT E MOUSSE

Place t he vanilla pod int o t he milk. Bring t o a boil. Once boiling t urn t he heat down and simmer for five minut es.

I n a large mixing bowl whisk t he sugar, egg yolks and cornflour t oget her unt il fluffy and pale.

Remove t he vanilla pod from t he milk, scarp t he seeds from t he pod and pop t hem back int o t he milk.

I NGREDI ENTS 500ml / 17 fl oz milk 1 vanilla pod, split 75g / 3 oz sugar 4 egg yolks 1 t sp cornflour/ cornst arch 350g / 12 oz dark, good quality cooking chocolat e

Whisking cont inuously, slowly add t he hot milk t o t he egg mixt ure.

Place t he chocolat e on a chopping board and cut int o t iny shavings using a sharp knife.

Place t he chocolat e shavings in anot her large bowl and pour t he hot milk and egg mixt ure over t he chocolat e st irring unt il all t he chocolat e is melt ed and mixed t horoughly wit h t he milk.

Leave t o cool for 10 minut es st irring from t ime t o t ime.

Pour int o serving glasses or dishes and chill in t he refrigerat or.

Decorat e wit h grat ed chocolat e or fresh fruit as desired.

PUZZLE CORNER 8

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MOOTS AND EVENTS

MOOTS April Events: 4t h ? Al t ernat i ve Spri ng Fayre ? Fi el den Cent re, Todmorden 4t h ? Damh t he Bard ? The Beacon Cent re, Nuneat on 4t h ? Hendon Heat hen M oot ? The Greyhound, Hendon, London 4t h - Psychi c & Hol i st i c Fai r - Cal l endar Square Shoppi ng Cent re, Fal k i rk 4t h - Spri ggan M i st - Heat hf i el d Arms, Fareham 7t h ? M oorl ands Sabbat i c M oot ? The Bl ue M ugge, Leek 11t h ? Scot t i sh PF Conference ? EUSA Soci et i es, Edi nburgh 13t h ? Cardi f f Pagan M oot ? Rummer Tavern, Cardi f f 14t h ? Chest er f i el d M oot ? The Tel emere Lodge, Chest er f i el d 15t h ? Bl ackpool M oot - 109 Norcl i f fe Road, Bl ackpool 18t h ? Di dgeri doo Sound Journey ?

Uni t ari an M eet i ng House, Newport 18t h ? Spi ri t of Li ndum Fest i val ? The Assembl y Rooms, Li ncol n 30t h ? Edi nburgh Fi re Fest i val ? Cal t on Hal l , Edi nburgh

Abergavenny M oot second Tuesday of every mont h, Hen and Chickens pub, flannel st reet , Abergavenny St art s 7pm Cont act Laura or Craig, You can also e-mail t he.shadows.light @hot mail.com

Albion M oot First Thursday of t he M ont h 7:30pm St art The Old Queens Head Pub, 40 Pond Hill, Sheffield ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ 72533580743/

Belfast Pagan M oot First Tuesday of t he mont h 7pm st art Croabh Rua Community Temple, Conway M ill, Belfast ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ Belfast PaganM oot /

Bishops Stortford Gathering Third M onday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art The Cast le public house, Cast le St reet , Bishops St ort ford

Bradford Social M oot Last Wednesday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art The Cast le Pub, 20 Grat t an Rd, Bradford

MOOTS AND EVENTS

Cannock M oot Third Sunday of t he mont h 7:30pm St art Bridget own Social Club, Bridget own , Cannock

Cardiff Pagan M oot Second M onday of t he mont h Upst airs in t he Rummer Tavern, Cardiff.

Open from 7pm, st art s properly at 730pm.

Cont act Cat herine Abbot t or Derek St orey or visit t he page at ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ 167919513251601/

Cardiff Coffee M oot Third Sat urday of t he mont h At Pipi's on Caroline St reet , Cardiff St art s 10am Cont act (t o be added)

Caerphilly M oot Every Thursday locat ion varies, current ly at t he Grazing Ground on t he high st reet (Nov 2014) St art s around 11am onwards A really informal group of most ly pagan people who like t o meet up an have a nat t er :) Shout out on t he Sout h Wales Pagans group for up t o dat e info.

Camart hen Pagans Last Thursday of t he mont h Get St uffed Pizza, John St reet , Carmart hen 7:30 Onwards Cont act t he Camart hen Pagans group ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ Carmart henPagans/

MOOTS AND EVENTS

Central London Gathering Last Tuesday of the month 6:00pm Start Bishopsgate, venue is subjected to change so please check our facebook for further details: https:/ / www.facebook.com/ pages/ CoA-Central-London-Gathering/ 505714086232636 Chesterfield Moot Second Tuesday of the month 7:30pm Start The Telemere Lodge, Hasland, Chesterfield

Clacton on Sea Moot Third Monday of the month 7:00pm Start The Plough, 1 North Road, Clacton on Sea

Coventry Earth Spirit Moot Third Wednesday of the month 8:00pm Start The Broomfield Tavern, Spoon End, coventry

Cowbridge Moot First Saturday of the month Upstairs at the Little Shop of Calm, Cowbridge starts 11am-1pmKids welcome, tea, coffee and cake provided Contact Siany or vist their page https:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ 231922846985828/

MOOTS AND EVENTS

Gloucest er M oot Last Thursday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art The Fount ain I nn, West gat e St reet , Gloucest er

Hert ford Gat hering Last Wednesday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art The Whit e Horse pub, 33 Cast le st reet , Hert ford Lampet er Pagan Society Folkmoot First Sunday of t he mont h

Cwmanne Tavern 7.00 - 7.30pm onwards Cont act t he Lampet er Pagan Society group ffi ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ 24065160648/

Long Eat on M oot Last Tuesday of t he mont h 7:30pm St art The Harringt on Arms, Derby Road, Long Eat on

Long Eat on Coffee M orning Second Tuesday of t he mont h 10:30am St art The Harringt on Arms, Derby Road, Long Eat on Lyndon M oot Every Tuesday The Lyndon Pub, Olt on, Solihull 8:00pm St art

MOOTS AND EVENTS M ansfield M oot First Tuesday of t he mont h 7:00pm St art William I V pub, St ockwell Gat e, M ansfield

M arket M oot first Sat urday of every ot her mont h Bet tws near Newport .

St art s at about 1 pm.

Have a look on t heir page for det ails of t he next M arket M oot ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ 270507793048162/

Neat h Pagan M oot last Thursday of t he mont h, Upst airs in t he Highlander Pub, (2-4 Lewis Road Neat h, West Glamorgan SA11 1EQ) St art s 7:30pm unt il close Cont act (t o be added)

Newport coffee morning last Sat urday of every mont h coffee # 1, commercial st reet , Newport .

St art s at 11am Cont act Laura or Craig, You can also e-mail t he.shadows.light @hot mail.com

Pot t ers Bar Gat hering Third Wednesday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art The Old M anor, Darkes Lane, Dagenham

Rugeley Pagan M oot Last Thursday of t he M ont h Lamb & Flag, M ain Road, Lit t le Haywood 7:30pm St art

MOOTS AND EVENTS

So M oot it Bee Last Tuesday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art t he Good I nt ent Pub 3 John St reet , Rochest er

St afford M oot Third Tuesday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art The Shrewsbury Arms, 75 East gat e St reet , St afford

Swansea Pagan M oot Third Tuesday of t he mont h M ozart s club, Uplands, Swansea.

St art s at 7.30pm Cont act t he Swansea Pagan M oot page ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ 108929852508325/

Swansea Pagan M arket M oot Sat urday 7t h Sept ember 2013, 11.30am t o 4.30pm Sket ty Park Community Cent re in Sket ty, Swansea

The Wit ches Gat hering First Wednesday of t he mont h The Feat hers Hot el, M erst ham, Surrey 8:00pm st art

Threefold Pagans Okehampt on Gat hering Third Tuesday of t he mont h 7:30pm St art The Highwaymans I nn, Sourt on, Devon

MOOTS AND EVENTS

Tefi Pagan M oot Last Thursday of t he mont h (unless it clashes wit h somet hing else) Camart hen (cont act for venue det ails) 7pm - 9pm Cont act Tamra at t amra66@hot mail.com

True Spirit M oot Last Thursday of t he mont h 7:30pm St art The Tast e of England, Newbury & That cham in Berkshire

Valleys M oot First wednesday of every mont h At t he GRI FFI N I NN, Hendreforgan, Gilfach Goch Times 7:30pm t il 10:30pm Cont act Richard Blackburn for det ails

Wyldwood M oot Fourt h M onday of t he M ont h The Royal Oak, St afford 7:30pm St art

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